Have you ever been in a survivalists dire straits? I’m not talking about the British rock band, but instead I’m speaking of, as Merriam-Webster puts it: “In a very bad or difficult situation”. Dire Straits works like this: Imagine that you are on a five days fishing trip on Loon Lake in the North Woods of Maine. On the first day, as you are kayaking north along one of the many tributaries, you are suddenly overturned by a young cow moose who has ventured out into the lake for reasons known only to young cow moose, and your bungee strap, (which you had just unlooped to retrieve your camera to take a photograph of a different cow moose who was also swimming in the stream), snags around the moose’s neck and she swims off with your kayak, bedroll, rifle, and pack. You are left with your camera in one hand, (water soaked), and your kayak paddle in the other. It suddenly occurs to you that the last time you checked your GPS, you were 15 miles from your truck. You, my friend, are now in Dire Straits.

There are many issues here, but in this writing I want to address the problem of gathering emergency rations in the form of meat. Understand in this scenario we are only trying to get back to a place of restorability so that we can go from a survival situation to one of modern comfort. Hopefully you had the wherewithal to have a backup blade in your boot or strapped to your floatation vest. If not, better find some sharp rocks…

I like to kill two birds with one stone. So, if I’m trying to make my way to my car, and if I know I have to travel along a stream, I will generally travel at night and walk in the stream. I do this for several reasons, not the least is so that I can hunt while I’m traveling. For some reason, I’ve always found that animals such as frogs, muskrats, raccoons, and waterfowl – creatures which are active at night – are more susceptible to hunting because they don’t expect danger to come from the middle of the stream, they expect it to come from the forest. A homemade two prong spear, or gig is my tool of preference for this type of hunting because it’s easy to make and works great for frogs and fish if you drive them into the mud to hold them there until you can grab them The trick is to wedge them into the “V” of the spear.

Watch this video! Watch it closely because it has caused controversy in the social media world. It actually made me a little sad to watch this because it tells me a lot about how far away from nature most people are today.

I will say that I had the mystery solved in approximately 3.5 seconds and it only took me that long because the boy had brought me my coffee and I had looked up to indicate my thanks. What threw most people off I suppose was that very cougar like tail that this dog has. However, that is where the similarities end on this. Here are three reasons why you should have known this is a dog and not a cat.

The way it’s acting. Cougars, even captive ones, are very wary of people and they actually don’t seem to like people at all… ever. So the fact that this canine comes sauntering into the picture nonchalantly, as if there my be a Snausage® to be had somewhere, is very telltale.

. Those ears. Anyone who has ever paid attention at all will take note of the fact that a catamount, cougar, mountain lion, etc… has rounded ears that tuck back close to the head, (to keep them out of other animals mouths I’d assume). This animal has ears that stand erect and are as pointy as stilettos… Italian stilettos.

The gait that it has. How many of you know that dogs are diagonal walkers and cats are lateral walkers, (for the most part at least)? What I mean is the difference between a trot and a pace if talking about horses. Cats usually move both feet forward on one side at the same time, (lateral walking or pacing), while dogs usually move opposite feet forward diagonally at the same time, (diagonal walking or trotting). Studies have shown that they do this to prevent their feet from colliding in the event they need to move quickly to avoid danger or subdue prey.

By: Mr X, Survivalist

I have been assailed lately by health food nuts. My wife, for instance, has gotten onto this grassfed beef movement. Well, that’s all well and good, and the fact of the matter is that I can see the intelligence in eating food that has been prepared in accordance with the plan of the One who created it; however, that doesn’t mean that the schemes of man can’t sometimes be beneficial, especially in a survival situation.

And so, it is this humble survivalist’s opinion that you should take the time to throw a couple of bags of corn or potato chips into your bug out bag, because they actually come in quit handy for certain situations. Here are three prime examples of times when you will be glad you have them and some practical uses that you can put them to. Not to mention that they are cheap and easy to come by, at least in this day and time.

♣Prepared chips are highly caloric and high in carbs.

If just taken at face value, and used for nothing more than a prepared and individually packaged food source, these small bags of chips are excellent for short term survival needs. They are salty and filling and will give a much needed burst of energy and warmth by their very nature.

♥ They are salty.

Not only is that salt beneficial to you, but it is also attractive to other creatures of the wilderness and is therefore beneficial for use as bait. This has been one of the most confounding aspects of survival that I have experienced whenever I have tried to lure game into a trap or ambush area, finding a bait source that would attract them that wasn’t available somewhere else.

♠ They are highly flammable.

In a survival situation, this is much more exciting than it might seem right now, especially if you are caught in a rainy or foggy environment. They are also waterproof while they are sealed in their bag; however, I would recommend that you open them under cover if you plan to use them as a fuel source for a fire.

It was with mixed emotions that I drove the boy to the Armed Forces Career Center for the final time.

He is, as I write this, in the process of becoming a United States Marine. I couldn’t be more proud of him and I was assaulted with a plethora of memories during that long final drive as I tried to offer him my advice on how to survive boot camp, forgetting for the time being that if he is at all like me, he wasn’t paying a bit more attention to what I was saying than the man in the moon. That’s because he is the type that wants to sort things out for himself, and he also knows that the boot camp I experienced in 1992 is not the same boot camp that he will experience on Parris Island in 2018.

However, we did have a great opportunity to relive some exciting moments that we shared together over the last 22 years.

His first deer for instance. This was a three day deer camp that culminated in his shooting the biggest doe I have ever seen straight through the heart with his brand new Mossburg 20 gauge shotgun that he had gotten for Christmas that year. I had just watched him allow a much smaller doe to creep past us, right underneath the deer stand we were sitting in. He had simply watched her go by, unable to move fast enough to click the safety off and fire the shot that would have made meat for the family for the winter. I was quietly chewing his ass, when he suddenly snapped off the safety, threw the shotgun to his shoulder, and blasted past my ear without a word of explanation. I was a little pissed, thinking that he had simply done that for dramatic effect in response to my chastisement, and then I saw the blood spatter in the snow. A spatter which ended in a steaming pile of nearly a hundred and fifty pounds of fresh venison. That was a great day for me, because being squeamish, I offered him the chance to clean all the guns when we shoot in exchange for my dressing the game that we shoot. He soon discovered that we shot much more than we hit.

And so I look forward to the times that we can spend in his deer camp, telling his war stories to his sons as we sit in his grandfathers old military surplus army tent. This is what memories are made of.

Recently it became apparent that my car, which has just gotten off warranty, was designed to start dollaring me to death. Notice that I didn’t say “nickel and diming” me. That’s because the particular car I bought only has $200 + parts on it.

That’s ok though, it’s still a good car it’s just not something I’m going to be running around the countryside in. This car, which is extremely good in the snow, will instead sit in a driveway awaiting the coming of age of my 13 year old daughter who will then start driving it, (and will work countless hours at McD’s to pay for those $300 sensors).

And so then it is time for me to find a used truck with which to foray out on my adventures from. I have purchased many such trucks over the years and have developed seven rules I go by when doing so. Here are seven sure fire tips for buying a used truck.

Get 4 wheel drive.You might be tempted to buy something that has rear differential and whatnot because it is cheaper, but there is a reason the 4 wheel drive trucks sell so much higher, and faster. That’s because if you need it you really need it.

Check the 4 wheel drive out.Just because you found a truck that say 4X4 on the bed, doesn’t mean that the 4wd works. Check it before you buy it. I always stop and place the truck in neutral before I engage the 4wd in either high or low. I know that many are designed to allow for shifting on the fly… but why would you?

Buy from a private owner. I say this having bought used cars from the dealership before and having them be ok; however, I’ve always had my best luck when buying from a private owner.

Take a long look at the current owner and his things. This is going to be a great indicator of how the truck has been maintained. Does the guy or gal keep his place clean and neat? Is the grass mown and trimmed? Get a look into his garage, are there tools scattered around?

Look for rust! Rust is the biggest enemy to any vehicle. Look for bubbles in the paint too, because that is rust as well. I always look at the frame as well. I once bought a 13 year old used truck without checking anything else out when I saw that the original factory stickers were still stuck to the frame it was so clean.

Check the Fluids.One big indicator that something is awry is the presence of certain kinds of fluids in places they should not be. Oil in the antifreeze for instance.

Ask a lot of questions. Find out why the person is selling his truck. Did he buy it for a child? Those are the best ones to get, the ones that were bought for a child which the child didn’t want. Another good buy is someone who has lost a loved one who owned it, or who has simply bought a new one because he or she had the money to and nothing better to do with it.

Ok, so this wasn’t nearly as easy as I thought it was going to be. To be honest, though I am in very good shape, I am in terrible shape for kayaking and I much underestimated the flexor muscles necessary to keep this tippy thing above water. Therefore, today I am sore and, (I know from experience), tomorrow I will be REAL SORE! That is okay though because I really learned a lot from this endeavor. And I really had a good time. Despite living a life fraught with danger and adventure, I have never been kayaking before. I have spent hours and hours canoeing but the two aren’t really alike.

Kayaking for the purpose of photography, too, added a dynamic to this experience that makes it like no other endeavor, and since the purpose of this writing is to give advice on kayaking for photography, here is what I have learned from my first try.

Use that launch at the marina.I took the path of naturalism for my first trip and I found out that the path of naturalism involves two things: water and filth. There’s nothing like flinging wet lake scum across your camera lens while flipping your legs into a kayak from the water’s edge that will make you squirm and squeal maniacally. Although it’s doable in a pinch, there is a very convenient launch at the marina that offers you the opportunity to insert and extract easily with very little water and no lake scum involved.

Lose that tripod!Though it seemed like a good idea at the time, I am better off using a handheld camera because the kayak is in constant motion. Just… no! put the camera around your neck and shoot by hand. You can keep the tripod with you for the chance that you might pull up to shore and get a shot from the land, or from a submerged log.

Use your rivets. Remember the nifty watertight containers that I gorilla glued to the kayak? Well, it doesn’t hold. So there is a reason that most things end up getting pop riveted for marine purposes.

In our next installation we will look at some of the improvements I’ll make to the improvements I made initially and we’ll give her another try… stay tuned.

As I sit here at the Subaru dealership where I purchase all of my family vehicles, I am reminded that those of us who use and purchase military surplus tents and equipment do so for one reason and one reason only; because we want the best value that our money can bring us.

There’s nothing wrong with being thrifty, that is simply being a good steward of the money that you have been entrusted with, and I am always looking for ways to make my money go further and last longer.

I know from experience that almost any trip to the car dealership is going to cost me $300, and having just spoken to the service technician, (here because of a “check engine” light activation), I learned that today is no exception because the sensor that I need replaced is $260.00 plus tax…

But that’s ok, because as I look around the showroom, I’m finding ways to even out the expenditure. One of the things that I notice immediately is that there is a Coleman tent in the showroom that has the Subaru label emblazoned across the top. The fact of the matter is that I am in the market for a new tent anyway and have been looking for one, (not that I can afford it now after buying a $260 sensor), however, I know that I’m also going to need to buy a new car in the next two years…

So, here then are three things you must do to always try to get the most bang for your buck:

Try to get some freebies added on.Whenever I buy a car, I always look for some freebies to get thrown in to “seal the deal” if you will. The aforementioned tent is a good example. I don’t know of any car dealer who is going to let a $24,000 car deal go down the tubes over a $70 tent. I, on the other hand, will walk right out the door over a $70 tent, or a $250 set of roof racks, ($49.95 at Wal-Mart).

Don’t do the trade-in thing.There is only one reason that dealerships, whatever type they are, take trade-ins. That’s because they are profitable. Why let the dealership get the most out of your valuables? Sell them yourself and get the full dollar amount out of them. It’s not that much trouble and you work too hard for your money to give it to someone else.

Always consider buying use items.I’m not a big fan of buying used cars, just because I like to start off fresh with a factory warranty and know exactly how that thing was maintained all of it’s life. But for everything else I buy used. My cameras, guns, electronics, etc… are always bought used or surplus just because for the most part there are no hidden variables to worry about. What you see is what you get and wear and tear isn’t likely an issue.

And so with great trepidation and trembling fingers, I loaded my brand new kayak onto the Subaru and headed for the local state park and lake.

It has been raining to beat hell here in southern Ohio, and there was finally a break in the constant drizzly downpour that is supposed to last a few days. So I figured to take advantage of the respite, (I understand that we have another hurricane coming through at some point), and when I got there I discovered that regardless of how excited I was to get out into the water and grab some awesome exposures of buttery wildlife goodness, there was absolutely no way in the world that I was going to. The biggest clue for me was the fact that the only other watercraft on the lake was the mud drudger, and those two guys on it looked nervous as hell.

The next clue was the fact that there was about five inches of concrete left showing on the boat launch dock, (when there is usually a foot or better), and I could literally see currents forming out on the body of the lake, which was choppy and wind driven. I pondered about how tippy my little 8′ kayak was just being manipulated by the current created from the circulation pump in my swimming pool, and even though I could see the white slash of wings from the eagles flying way out in the distance on the other side of the lake, I left the dreams and visions of snapping some shots there on the lakeshore and grudgingly headed on home. So, here are three clues to keep in mind when you are ponding stormy waters.

Watch for activity on the water.Basically, if no one else is on the water, not even a gaggle of geese, you should probably be asking yourself why that is. If no one else wants to go out because of high water you should most likely follow suit.

Look at the topological indicators.Water levels as opposed to established water lines for instance. Understand that the more volume is present, the greater the force of gravity will affect it and you.

Watch for white water. It shouldn’t take me to tell you that the whiter and more turbulent the water is the more dangerous it is.

And so I take my final bow as I present to you my kayak, all tricked out and ready to go on lake-water adventures as I endeavor on a trip to capture the stoic visage of a family of American Bald Eagles which inhabit the local state park.

I have labored long and hard on it, (not really), and I have done all that I wanted to in order to get it seaworthy.

Here are the changes I have made to it that make it ready to capture the photos and video that I am going after.

I installed a go-pro mount on the top at the bow. I discovered right off that trying to mount it with marine rivets as I did nearly everything else, because the rivets heads would interfere with the camera mount. Hopefully the gorilla glue that I utilized to mount it will hold, otherwise I’m going to be hoping that the waterproof case makes it float.

I used the gorilla glue to also mount two watertight cases to the floor of the kayak. One is big enough to hold the camera that I plan to use for the kayak photography, and one to hold my cellphone. Though I could have easily drilled and riveted both of these cases in, I didn’t relish the idea of breaking that watertight seal in any way.

I riveted two eye brackets into the bow in order to strap a tripod into the bow. As I shoot more and more photography, I learn more and more that I need to have a tripod for stabilization. And so I plan to utilize this configuration in order to get those photos that have so far eluded me from across the lake. Of course I’ll keep you posted! Stay tuned for the next installment of kayaking for photography…

Ok, so I have my kayak purchased and I have been practicing with it in my swimming pool. It is very tippy. And while this is unfortunate, it is not a tragedy because it is very easy to get out of too. However, water and cameras don’t mix well, so I will be practicing extensively with this dude before I get any of my camera gear into it. Perhaps I will visit the local goodwill store or get online and find a nice little zoom camera like the Canon Powershot SX20 IS, which will shoot high definition video and has digital zoom capabilities that allow it to be shot at up to 500mm. I had purchased a Canon G series G1X for these romps into the lakeside wilderness, but with a $400+ pricetag, the tippiness of this kayak has left me feeling less than optimistic about taking this little camera out.

I had previously written about a cute little Sony a100 I purchased for $37 that I ended up selling for $250 to an enterprising young lad who wanted to get a start in photography. The problem with the cheaper Sony was the fact that it doesn’t shoot video and it leaves a lot to be desired in really low light. I definitely don’t want to be juggling two cameras in a kayak… but I digress.

This is a blog about kayak modifications; and here are three must have mods for photography.

Fishing rod holder. As simple as cutting a hole, drilling three more, and pulling three rivets. Viola! You have a fishing rod holder. This is very important because when there is nothing to photograph you are going to need something to do.

Handle and oar holder. Needed so that you can have both hands free to grab camera and tripod to keep them as safe as possible. you don’t want to be juggling a double paddled oar while trying to handle your gear.

A comfortable seat. If you are going to be going after eagles like I am, you will need to have some padding on your rear. Make that seat as comfortable as possible.